I am exploring opportunities in CAP so far, as I am a relatively new member (being promoted soon). I have taken a liking to Honor Guard and what it does for Cadets, but am wondering what it's like behind the drills and behind the stuff our squadron sees (raising the flag, etc). Any advice/tips/behind the scenes of Honor Guard?

Well, first of all, the Honor Guard is going to be limited to what your unit offers and how your unit trains its Honor Guard. I've seen units that really put a lot of emphasis into training for an Honor Guard during the weekly meetings. I've seen units that leave it to their cadets to maintain their Honor Guard, more like a team, that will practice outside of the weekly meeting.

You've more than likely seen Color Guards, which have carried/presented the Colors during parades or ceremonies but have not necessarily gone to the formalities and discipline of an Honor Guard, not to forget more appropriate Honor Guard events, like funeral services.

A key to learning both Color Guard and Honor Guard activities is to have someone who knows and understands guard-based drill and ceremonies procedures. Some people get the general idea, but they don't have the expertise watching over them to try and make it perfect. We had a Color Guard trained for a Veterans Day ceremony a couple of years ago (We have four cadets, two of whom were participants at the previous event, if possible); the cadet carrying the Colors dipped them upon their presentation. In the aftermath, he was asked why. He said "I saw it in videos and thought that's what you do. I thought it would look cool." He didn't ask, he didn't read the manual; he just went along with it. And it's a no-no.

On the other side, it requires participants who are dedicated to the practice. That means showing up to rehearsals (whether that's at the meeting or at the offsite rehearsal). It means committing to the event, not just saying you want to be on the team and never able to show up. This applies to both the cadets and the seniors, as applicable.

It's an honorable thing to be a part of. But you have to remember that it's a privilege that comes with responsibilities.

And note the below in bold:"1.2. Authority. Wing commanders determine the scope of Unit Honor Guards within their wings. Asa result, squadrons wishing to start a Unit Honor Guard need the wing commanderís approval. Wing andregion commanders may elect to have members of different Unit Honor Guards form a wing or regionHonor Guard as deemed necessary by the appropriate commander. "